Everyone has a bucket list item that they’d like to achieve before they graduate – whether that is going for a swim in the campus fountain or climbing ot the top of Beacon Hill. For Kayleigh John, it is visiting every café in Loughborough in search of the best sweet treats that the town has to offer. In the first article of this series, Kayleigh visits a student favourite – Bom Bom Patisserie.
In just a few months, I will be graduating from Loughborough University and it will mark the end of an incredible, albeit slightly abnormal, three years. From spending first year mostly in lockdown to then having weeks of industrial action disrupt my second and third years, to say that my time at Loughborough has been anything but a straightforward university experience would be an understatement. However, I have thoroughly loved the past three years as an undergrad and made countless memories along the way, so I can definitely say that I will be deeply sad to leave this little town.
For a girl with an enormous sweet tooth, one of the things I will miss the most about living in Loughborough is the surplus of cafes and bakeries dotted around the town centre. I never looked around the town when I came for an open day, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover an almost infinite number of places to indulge in all the sweet treats that I love. This is why I’ve set myself the challenge of visiting every single cafe I can find before I graduate, exploring all the cakes that Loughborough has to offer and gaining inspiration for my own baking along the way (hit up @kayleigh_bakes on Insta!).
First on the list is without a doubt my favourite place in Loughborough by a mile: Bom Bom Patisserie. The thought of leaving Loughborough in June and not being able to treat myself to a Bom Bom cookie every other week is already breaking my heart. I first stumbled across Bom Bom during my first year. A couple of my lecturers had recommended it to my course’s cohort, and it wasn’t long before several of my course friends were endorsing their recommendation. The sheer number of raving reviews I was hearing about the ‘best cookies you will ever have’ was more than enough to convince me to visit. That first time I went triggered a Bom Bom addiction, and I have been back more times than I care to count.
Bom Bom Patisserie has two locations in Loughborough: there is the little Derwent Drive store, just a two-minute walk from the library (ideal if you’re searching for something sweet to motivate you through those long study sessions!), or the larger Canal House site, near to Lidl. Living in town these past couple of years has meant I usually visit the latter of the two, but both are virtually the same save for the odd difference in their sweet menu offerings.
So, on Tuesday last week, armed with my laptop, dissertation notes, and enough of my student loan left to splurge on a cookie or two, I headed off to the Canal House site. It was lovely and quiet when I arrived; besides two women sitting down with coffees at the other end of the building, the only other people there were the staff. That is another thing I love about Bom Bom: their staff are always so friendly and happy!
After settling down at one of their study desks, I wandered over to discover what was on the menu that day. All of their standard hot drinks were available, so I ordered myself a
tea (I’ve never been much of a coffee person), and then eyed up all of the sweet treats on the counter. They had their famous classic cookies, Oreo cookies, salted caramel brownies, raspberry Bom buns, and then I suddenly spotted something brand new… cookie rocky road! The moment I laid eyes on it, I knew I had to try it out. Alongside that, I bought a Creme Egg cookie for one of my housemates; she was coming back later this evening after spending a few days at home, so I thought it would be a nice surprise for her, especially as she’d been wanting to try one for a while.
But back to the cookie rocky road and it was amazing! The slice they’d given me was huge! It was stuffed with large white marshmallows and chunks of what I assume was one of their classic cookies, and finished off with a drizzle of white chocolate on top. If I were to critique one thing, I’d say there could have been a few more cookie chunks, but besides that, it was very chocolatey and delicious; definitely worth the spend!
So, the overall verdict? Bom Bom Patisserie is and will remain one of my favourite cafes. If you have yet to visit it, or it’s been a while or even a day since you last went, then here is your sign to go now! It would be criminal to spend three or four years studying at Loughborough and not at least try the famous Bom Bom classic cookie. I promise you it will be one of the best cookies, if not the best, you have ever tasted.
Edited by Izzie Naish – Label Editor
Header designed by Sarim Mangi – Head of Design
